UK Net Migration Drops Sharply Amid Stricter Rules

UK Net Migration Drops Sharply Amid Stricter Rules
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Long-term net migration to Britain dropped by more than two-thirds in the year to June, according to new official figures, Reuters reported. Updated data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows net migration fell to 204,000 in that period, down from 649,000 a year earlier. The decline follows tighter government measures aimed at reducing arrivals, particularly for work and study.

The number of non-EU citizens coming to the UK for employment fell by 61%, while student-related immigration dropped by 25%, the ONS said. The fall reflects earlier Conservative policies, including a ban on most international students bringing dependants and increased minimum salaries for skilled visas. The Labour government has continued this tougher approach as it faces public pressure and competition from Reform UK, a party campaigning on reducing immigration.

Further restrictions introduced in July targeted care-worker visas — previously the main driver of work-related migration — and raised the salary threshold for skilled workers to £41,700. New reforms are also set to make refugee status temporary, accelerate deportations of irregular arrivals, and extend the residency requirement for settled status to ten years. Despite the decline, immigration remains a leading concern for voters, the ONS noted, particularly due to ongoing small-boat arrivals across the Channel.